Survival

by J Marie

  Turning the corner at the bottom of the stairs, I found the dining room. It was spacious and full of natural lighting as it brought out all the soft chocolate browns and creams of the walls and pictures. Plants decorated the corner by the large, bay window, and a beautiful dark oak table sat in the middle of it all with seating for eight people. A grand chandelier lit the remaining shadows as it hung beautifully above the table. A vase of fresh white roses completed the picture and their scent filled my nose making me feel a little at ease.

  That was until I noticed him sitting at the head of the table with a newspaper in his hand. He was staring directly at me, and I stopped in my tracks.

  “Wow,” he said, looking me up and down. “You look absolutely stunning.”

  The compliment caught me off guard, and I didn't know what else to say but what I truly wanted to.

  “I know,” I said with a nonchalant tone, deciding to own his compliment and then shrug it off. It’s not as if I put that much effort into my appearance, but I knew I cleaned up nice.

  “You're welcome,” he said narrowing his eyes at me. Perhaps, I should be a little more gracious the next time he paid me a compliment. “You’re actually a little early, though. Dinner won’t be ready for another fifteen minutes,” he said looking at his watch and returning to his newspaper. “But if you’d like, we can discuss some more pending topics we have yet to shed light on.”

  “Okay,” I drawled, still keeping my distance and placing my hands on one of the chairs furthest from him.

  “Why don’t you have a seat first?” He gestured to the place setting at his right. I pursed my lips in protest, but slowly made my way and sat down, pushing the chair slightly away from him and crossing my legs.

  “Where would you like to begin?” he asked me, amusement gleaming from his eyes.

  “I think it’s only fair that you shed some light on yourself,” I said as I eyed the silverware next to the plate, more specifically the giant steak knife. “I don't know anything about you, and if I'm here to please you, I think I should be well informed.”

  “A fair point.” He nodded in agreement. “What would you like to know?”

  “How about a name?” I replied, turning my eyes away from the knife.

  He smiled at me then, entertained by my question, but why the fuck wouldn’t I want to know his name? I needed it so I could mark it on his gravestone unless he preferred “Here Lies Scum of the Earth.”

  “My name is Darren Davis,” he said confidently. “But you may call me Darren.”

  Darren Davis. For whatever reason, I kind of liked it. It suited him.

  “How old are you?” I continued.

  “I’m thirty-one.”

  Damn, I had to admit, he was doing well for thirty-one.

  “Were you born here? Wherever here is.”

  “Yes, this is my family’s home. It belongs to me now.”

  I was hoping he would give up our location, but I may have to be more direct with that later.

  “What’s your educational background?” I wanted to know what kind of education he had; if he had even participated in normal civilian life rather than only leading a life of simply selling women to the highest bidder.

  He gave me an odd look but answered my question. “I was homeschooled by some the best tutors around the world until I went to college.”

  “You went to college?”

  “I did. I went to Stanford.”

  California?

  “What did you study?”

  “Business, political science, and psychology.”

  So he was hot and intelligent. This was a bad duo.

  “And you graduated?”

  “Of course.” He glared at me as if I were accusing him of dropping out. “My father expected perfection, and he got nothing less from me. I graduated top of my class with a Master’s in Business and a minor in Political Science. I also have a Bachelor’s in Psychology.”

  “Congratulations,” I said. “I was in the midst of obtaining my Juris Doctorate from Wayne State, so thanks for putting a pause on that.”

  That was bold of me, but he deserved to know what he ruined for me back home.

  “I’m aware of where you went to school. And debt would have smothered you for the rest of your life. So you’re welcome.”

  I pursed my lips. Of course, he knew what school I attended.

  “Yes because Stanford is so cheap,” I countered. What the fuck did he care about my debts?

  “Don’t think I went to Stanford with my father’s money. I was there on an academic scholarship,” he said, leaning in on his forearms as they rested on the table.

  “Good for you,” I replied irritably.

  He just smirked at me. I was quiet for a few seconds before I realized I had an interrogation to finish.

  “How about siblings?” I asked, even though I already knew that answer.

  “Yes, I also have two younger brothers just like you.”

  Great, more shit that we have in common.

  “Would they happen to be in the same kind of business as you?”

  “More or less, but that really doesn’t concern you.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Because I said so,” he said harshly.

  Well, that subject was off-limits for a while.

  “Okay, so … where are we exactly?” I asked, hoping to God that he would answer me.

  “That doesn’t concern you, either. For now."

  I raised an eyebrow at him. Why the fuck didn’t he want me to know where he lived?

  “You don’t think I deserve to know where I’m being held captive?”

  He narrowed in on me then, leaning forward from his chair, an obvious warning blazing from his cold blue eyes. “When I want you to know something, I will tell you.”

  “Fine.” I shrugged, paying no attention to his attempt at intimidating me. “But it will only be a matter of time before I find out myself, and I’ve already gathered enough information for a well-educated guess.”

  This was his family’s home, he went to Stanford, the weather is hot as fuck, and there were palm trees everywhere. My stomach dropped at the assumption that I was now potentially living all the way on the other side of the country … in California. Maybe.

  “I wouldn’t fight me on this, Jaden.”

  “I’m not fighting you on anything. You said you wanted honesty, and I’m just telling you I will find out eventually.”

  “Would you prefer to spend your first night here in a cage in the dark?” he asked sternly.

  I instantly glared at him. What the fuck? He was threatening me with a cage? I had just spent several days in a dog cage. Like hell, I was going back into one.

  I backed off then and sat back in my chair feeling defeated and pissed off.

  “I didn’t think so,” he seethed.

  We sat in silence for about thirty tense seconds before a young man who looked to be in his late teens finally brought out what appeared to be our dinner. He carried a long silver tray containing two plates. As he set my plate down before me, his eyes found mine, and I quickly sent him a subtle but pleading look for help. He quickly glanced away as he set Darren’s down and stood back up to right himself. When my eyes suddenly caught a glimpse at Darren, my stomach did a back flip from the look he was currently giving me.

  I felt hope drain out of me like a leaky faucet as the kid turned and walked away, my eyes following his every step as he left me alone with this monster and disappeared quickly behind the door.

  Faster than lightning, Darren’s hand instantly clutched my lower jaw and roughly pulled me to him. My stomach clenched and my heart skipped several beats as I was met with dark and dangerous eyes burning with anger.

  “What did I tell you about looking at other men?” he growled at me. “Have you forgotten my rules already?”

  “I’m sorry,” I grunted through clenched teeth, my hands clutching his wrist. “I was just acknowledging another person. Old habit.”
/>   God, would I never get to look at another man again? That seemed a little unreasonable.

  “Acknowledging is one thing. Blatantly staring is another and I won’t have it. I told you I’m a jealous and possessive man, Jaden. I wouldn’t test that boundary if I were you,” he fumed.

  “Got it,” I replied harshly.

  “Good,” he said, releasing me and relaxing back into his chair. “For your sake, I hope that you do.”

  Flexing my now aching jaw, I looked away from his penetrating glare to stare down at the food placed down in front of me. Unfortunately, the delicious scent had the opposite effect on my stomach as it just made the knots slowly turning inside twist even tighter. I looked down at the grilled salmon, mashed potatoes, and green beans, and even though it all looked amazing, I didn’t think I could stomach a single bite, not to mention the portions were way too big. I had never been a heavy eater. I sipped on the glass of water instead.

  “I suggest you eat, Jaden. I don’t like wasted food.”

  “Not much of an appetite,” I shot back. “Plus there’s way too much food on this plate anyway.”

  “That’s too much for you?” he asked surprised.

  I held up my fist for him to see. “My stomach is literally only slightly bigger than my fist.” I pointed at my hand. “And right now, half of it is filled with stress and murderous rage. Not much room for anything else.”

  He chuckled a little as he took a sip of his wine.

  “Jaden, I expect that entire plate to be cleaned within the next fifteen minutes.”

  I raised an eyebrow at him, but the glare I received back told me he was actually serious.

  “Can’t we compromise on at least half?”

  Oh, now I was already willing to compromise??? What the actual fuck, Jaden?

  Pussy.

  “If you stop talking and start eating, maybe I’ll consider it,” he said agitated, scowling at me.

  Now, I was getting pissed, and his demand just made everything worse. Listening to Darren was going to be a lot harder than I thought, and it took so much self-control not to stab him in the face with my fork. I put on my best bitch face and gently picked up the fork hidden from the view of my plate, but it felt gigantic in my hand. Lifting it, I realized it had a genuine weight to it as it was probably the largest fork I had ever seen. I looked at it as if it was made for mutants—mutant giants.

  “What’s wrong now? Don’t like my silverware?” Darren asked me with a hint of sarcasm.

  “Who are these made for? Giants?” I asked annoyed as I fumbled with the stupid thing to get it to fit comfortably between my fingers.

  Darren just laughed at me. “Should I have Pascal bring out the children’s cutlery?”

  I gave him a serious scowl, and then almost accepted his sarcastic offer, but thought better of it. So I had small hands, big deal—just made the pain of my punches that much more concentrated, like getting stabbed with my fist instead.

  I pushed the food around a bit before taking a small bite of the salmon.

  “There’s a good girl,” Darren approved, returning to his plate.

  Fuck him, but the taste was fantastic; however, my stomach still wasn’t very happy about it. I knew I needed to keep my strength up, but I honestly didn’t think the knots would allow me to keep the food down.

  Chapter Five

  Mine

  Darren ate his dinner quietly while he continued to read his newspaper, finishing his plate much quicker than I did. With him slightly distracted, I took this time to study him. Occasionally stealing glances here and there or simply keeping him in my peripherals, I scrutinized his mannerisms, his build, posture, and the way his eyes squinted when he focused on something. I noticed the size of his hands and the texture of his skin, smooth, yet calloused in certain areas. And then I spotted something on his right middle finger that I hadn’t noticed before. He was wearing a wide silver ring with what looked like some kind of triangular symbol on it. How had I never noticed it before?

  Darren then looked over, noticing my half eaten plate as I continued to push the remaining food around with my giant ass fork. He sighed heavily as he stared me down. I gave him a soft pleading look. I really couldn’t finish it, and if he continued to silently berate me, I would seriously end up throwing it all up and then it would be an even bigger waste.

  “I’ll settle for two more bites,” he said, nodding at me.

  Hmm … so the man did know how to compromise, after all.

  I sighed through my nose as I looked back down at my plate. I quickly scooped up two more tiny bites and chewed quickly. The look on his face was not one of satisfaction.

  “You didn’t say how big the bites had to be,” I said, covering my mouth and swallowing.

  He rolled his eyes, sighed, and stood.

  “Come on. I want to show you something,” he said, holding out his hand.

  I eyed his hand as if it was a droopy, drooling dog about to slobber all over me. The thought of touching him like that made me want to vomit up the dinner I had worked so hard to keep down.

  “Give me your hand, Jaden,” he demanded, more warning blaring from his tone as he glared at me.

  Reluctantly, and hating everything within a single square inch of me, I placed my hand in his, and it engulfed mine entirely. Pulling me from my chair, I let him lead me through what appeared to be a living room and out to a patio at the back of the house.

  Still trapping my hand in his, I kept up with him easily as we walked through the grass, even though his stride was twice the length of mine. He seemed to notice as my short legs pumped faster to accommodate his speed but with zero strain.

  “You always walk this fast?” he asked with a light chuckle.

  “After four years, I’m used to it.” I shrugged.

  He stopped then and stared down at me, his brows furrowed with caution. “Well, now I’m just curious.”

  I shrugged again not knowing what he expected me to say.

  “My boyfriend is six-foot-three. I grew accustomed to his pace.”

  I stared up at him, studying his reaction. It was probably stupid for me to test him like that, but for some irrational reason, I wanted to piss him off. I started to regret it when his face suddenly went frigid cold, and it began to scare me a little.

  “That little confession,” he said coldly, tightening his grip on my hand until a sharp pain coursed through my bones, “was a very big mistake.”

  Before I had a chance to react, he’d thrust me up against the rough brick of the house and forced his lips down on mine so ferociously I could feel them swelling under his onslaught. Driving his tongue into my mouth, it explored and conquered every corner, and I fought hard against him.

  Tired of my struggle, he took my wrists in his hand and pinned them above my head while his other hand trailed under my dress. I fought even harder as his lips claimed mine in the most aggressive kiss I had ever experienced, but with my hands trapped above my head and his body covering mine, my legs had nowhere else to go.

  His remaining hand curved up my thigh, finally cupping the forbidden flesh between my legs that apparently no longer belonged to me. I revolted at his touch, furiously groaning in protest as his fingers trailed back and forth over my lips. I had never been so grateful to have been permitted to wear underwear, even if it was only a thong. I was surprised he had allowed that since it didn’t make me one hundred percent completely accessible. Maybe he was the type who liked to rip clothing from a woman’s body. Guess I would find out soon enough.

  Finally releasing my mouth, his hand gripped tighter at my pussy, causing an extremely uncomfortable pressure, and I gasped aloud from it. “This is mine now,” he growled, squeezing tighter for emphasis, and I winced in obvious discomfort. “All of this, all of you, belongs to me. Your body first and foremost, and very soon your mind and then … your heart, until the only thing that remains is your soul, and I won’t stop until I have that as well.”

  “It will never b
e yours.” I fought back. “None of it.”

  “You seem to think you have a choice in the matter,” he snarled, gripping my face roughly with his hand.

  “God, get off me!” I screamed at him, fighting harder than before. “You were the one who said you wanted honesty!”

  “Yes, and let’s finally have some. Admit to me that you’re mine and I’ll let go of you.”

  “Fuck you!” I spat at him. “You can lie to yourself all you want, but it will never be true.”

  “Do we have to revert to our time in the playroom? I will gladly provide you with another insightful session if that is what it will take to remind you of what you are and who you belong to.”

  I could feel my fight slipping then. Darren was so strong, so much stronger than I was, and I felt so weak in his grasp, like a tiny fly caught in the web of a vicious spider. I hated it. I hated myself for my weakness, but what could I do? I was small, and he was big. Simple and shitty as that.

  “Stop,” I whispered, looking away from him. “Just stop.”

  I knew I was stronger than this, but at this moment, the vulnerability was becoming too much; I felt the tiniest I had ever been. His threat of repeating that session was enough to make me cringe. I wasn’t just afraid of the physical pain; I was also afraid of the mental anguish he would force me to endure. And that was the most destructive of all. I was better than this, though, so why was I giving in? My aggression was slipping into ice-cold fear as I realized that no matter how much I fought him, all he had to do was push me up against a wall, and I was defenseless.

  “Admit it, Jaden.” I shook my head, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill. How my body had managed to create more after my withdrawal in the shower, I’ll never know, but they were so ready to go. “Tell me you belong to me,” he repeated as searing intensity bored from his eyes.

  “Even if I said it, I wouldn’t mean it. I’d be lying to you,” I tried to rationalize with him.